Public History

Ball State University is committed to providing a comprehensive education to you. One of the many ways we accomplish this is by offering you the opportunity to combine academic training with practical work experience.The university's internship programs in particular form a link between the classroom and the world of work. Internships help students gain valuable paraprofessional experience while providing a direct service to employers.

Getting your first professional job after college will be one of many exciting times in your life. If a rewarding career is your goal after college, our public history option will help get you there. The internship program is designed to prepare you for history-related careers in private corporations, public agencies, private individual or small firms, and private nonprofit organizations.

"I accepted a position with a new company in Indianapolis that specializes in federal government contract work...I know the public history internship was a vital component in my receiving an offer of employment." -Jennifer Noffze

Possible internship opportunities include: historical associations and societies, oral history projects, museums and halls of fame, entrepreneurial history firms, genealogical services, preservation and restoration agencies, archives and libraries, publishers of history books and journals, documentary film and audio production companies

The required internship will help you gain valuable experience while providing a service to employers. The internship program is essential to your understanding of public history. The internship will also prepare you for postgraduate internships (typically paid positions) and for graduate study in traditional academic history programs, public and applied history programs, and nonacademic public history training programs.